Sara Pascoe vs History
On Friday night, I took another trip to the Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge Wells to see Sara Pascoe. I had been impressed when I saw the show in preview at ArgComFest in July and was keen to see the finished article.
The "vs History" part of the title refers to Pascoe's examination of her own past and biological history to examine why she is the person she is today at the age of 33. For example, she touches upon her parents' turbulent relationship that began when her mother started stalking her father Derek, the vocalist in 1970s pop act Flintlock. This gave the young Sara misguided notions of the idea of courtship, as her and her sister headed to The Big Breakfast studios in the hope of wooing Robbie Williams.
She laments the failure of Adam and Eve's relationship noting "If they can't make it in paradise, how am I supposed to make it in Lewisham?". Pascoe's relatively new relationship with fellow comedian John Robins underpins the show. There's an interesting section regarding the tensions of performing material based on their relationship (similar ground is covered in Katy Brand's very good novel "Brenda Monk is Funny"). I didn't see Robins' show in Edinburgh last year, but he was the subject of some criticism for a routine about Pascoe's PMT. As you'd expect, she has a fine riposte.
Alongside this, the show has a strong biological thread as Pascoe discusses matters like kamikaze sperm and the history of vaginal and clitoral orgasms. Not your typical Friday night stand up fare and the show feels more like a lecture in these sections. However, she speaks engagingly on these matters and holds the audience's attention with ease. Pascoe has also written some of the most intelligent and nuanced material on the issues facing feminism today. Acknowledging both the toxic influence of Page 3 and the right of women to appear there if they so wish, her solution to the problem is both logical and very funny. As is her decision to reclaim the right to tell "period jokes" from those who ignorantly assume that's all female comedians discuss.
Pascoe's style of performance isn't always laugh a minute but there's plenty to enjoy here, delivering 80 minutes of intelligent, thoughtful, feminist stand up.
The "vs History" part of the title refers to Pascoe's examination of her own past and biological history to examine why she is the person she is today at the age of 33. For example, she touches upon her parents' turbulent relationship that began when her mother started stalking her father Derek, the vocalist in 1970s pop act Flintlock. This gave the young Sara misguided notions of the idea of courtship, as her and her sister headed to The Big Breakfast studios in the hope of wooing Robbie Williams.
She laments the failure of Adam and Eve's relationship noting "If they can't make it in paradise, how am I supposed to make it in Lewisham?". Pascoe's relatively new relationship with fellow comedian John Robins underpins the show. There's an interesting section regarding the tensions of performing material based on their relationship (similar ground is covered in Katy Brand's very good novel "Brenda Monk is Funny"). I didn't see Robins' show in Edinburgh last year, but he was the subject of some criticism for a routine about Pascoe's PMT. As you'd expect, she has a fine riposte.
Alongside this, the show has a strong biological thread as Pascoe discusses matters like kamikaze sperm and the history of vaginal and clitoral orgasms. Not your typical Friday night stand up fare and the show feels more like a lecture in these sections. However, she speaks engagingly on these matters and holds the audience's attention with ease. Pascoe has also written some of the most intelligent and nuanced material on the issues facing feminism today. Acknowledging both the toxic influence of Page 3 and the right of women to appear there if they so wish, her solution to the problem is both logical and very funny. As is her decision to reclaim the right to tell "period jokes" from those who ignorantly assume that's all female comedians discuss.
Pascoe's style of performance isn't always laugh a minute but there's plenty to enjoy here, delivering 80 minutes of intelligent, thoughtful, feminist stand up.
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